Yachting New Zealand: Clean Club programme

Clean Club helps yachting and boating clubs take practical steps to care for our coastlines, oceans and waterways.

Yachting New Zealand developed the programme with the New Zealand SailGP Team and Sailors for the Sea. It gives clubs guidance across 5 areas: leadership, waste, saving resources (like water and energy), community outreach and education.

Clubs register online, set up a small sustainability team and work through a set of actions. Clubs that meet the criteria can become a certified Clean Club and receive a digital badge. Since 2021, 18 clubs have been certified, representing more than 9,500 members. Many clubs have introduced three-stream bins, run regular beach clean-ups, and switched to reef-safe sunscreen and environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Clean Club is supporting clubs across Aotearoa, and some in Australia, to reduce their environmental impact. The programme is also building sustainability into junior sailing, with many young people leading activities at their clubs.

Find out more on the Clean Club website.

Yachting New Zealand was a finalist for the Environmental Sustainability Award at the 2025 New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards.